Chapter 3. For a little food

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Mother left me alone again and she'd been away for longer this time. I was growing impatient and hungry. I now knew that Mother went to find food for us. She always fed me first and waited until I was full, then she quickly ate the rest.

I noticed she wasn't playing with me as much lately. She was weary and snapped quickly when I would bite her to get her attention. She would take me by the back of my neck and give me a good shake. Of course I was sorry then, but later, I still tried again.

That day when she wouldn't come back was a very hot day. There was a small river next to our small shelter, so I went to have a drink. What I saw there paralysed me with fear. A huge monster, bigger than anything I've seen before, bigger than Mother even, was standing on its hind legs next to the other side of the river. It was holding some food in its front paws and eating from it. He was upwind, so I could smell the food. My stomach started making hungry noises.

My hunger and curiosity won over my fear. I came out of the tall grass to the river side and sniffed. The creature noticed me, took a little food in its paw and crossed the river to where I was, holding the food towards me. It kept making strange noises I couldn't understand, like an odd bark.

I went towards the food and stole a small piece and ran away back in the grass and ate it. The creature didn't move, so I went back and took another piece. This time I didn't run away and ate it there. When I was done, I started licking the paw that still smelled like food, happy that I got lucky to eat so soon.

But suddenly, the paw grabbed me by the back of my neck and picked me up. Just like Mother did, but this didn't give me a warm feeling of safety. My instincts screamed "danger", but even if I struggled and cried, the paw didn't let me go.

Without getting back on four legs or letting go of me, the monster started walking away. Away from my home, from my Mother. Mother, where are you?
 

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